Heinz-Dieter Finke passed away on January 27, 2026. From 1973, he worked for Fachhochschule Dortmund for more than 30 years, most recently as Administrative Director and representative of the Chancellor. He also served Fachhochschule Dortmund on the University Council from 2008 to 2013. Together with Rudi Zimmer, who passed away last year, he shaped the university and its people. Martin Hübner, Head of Facility Management until 2025, looks back in a personal retrospective.
Dieter Finke was my head of HR 45 years ago. He had already been up to his ears in building up the Fachhochschule Dortmund, which was founded in 1971, for eight years. A new university was created from its predecessor institutions.
Together with Rudi Zimmer, he managed and constantly developed the budget positions and funds. Both of them also ensured my start in the administration of the University of Applied Sciences in 1981 - because without positions there is no staff, without funds there is no university operation.
Dieter's entire working life was characterized by a very clear orientation towards the university. Innovations and changes as well as expansions and overcoming all kinds of hurdles were the order of the day at this growing university.
Together, Dieter and Rudi were a strong team and acted as such. They stood for an appreciative and very personal approach to their employees - something I got to know and love for a long time. I was able to learn from both of them how beneficial such a personal approach was for the working atmosphere, the entire university and for myself. I am even convinced that their way of doing things still has an impact today and has of course been refined and adapted.
In direct personal contact
Hard to imagine: In this development process of the university, there were no PCs, no software, no printers, only typewriters (electric, after all), no fax machines, no social media in today's sense. Just people and telephones. Communication was therefore very personal. Networks were formed through direct personal contact. Dieter Finke was a specialist here - professionally anyway. Dieter acted and shaped the work of his employees. Rudi Zimmer did the same in the field of finance.
After a few years in the Academic Department (Rectorate, Commissions...), I was asked to join the Human Resources Department. I remember exactly how Dieter Finke addressed me one day: "Mr. Hübner, we're on first-name terms in the HR department. I'm Dieter." In a flash, as a young government inspector, I was on a first-name basis with the head of HR. That was completely unusual elsewhere. The "you" remained, even though a few weeks later I moved to Rudi Zimmer's finance department instead of the HR department.
Rudi also stood for personal interaction. Both were very similar in this respect: they allowed freedom to make decisions, gave clear guidelines, provided enormous support and orientation, as is nowadays described in onboarding processes and taught in training courses for managers. They were natural talents, exactly the right people for me in this new university universe. How lucky I was to have had them as bosses and colleagues.
"It was like family"
I learned all the basics of finance from Rudi Zimmer - there was a relaxed atmosphere in the finance department. Sometimes someone was actually put on the safe, sometimes there was TippEx on your fingernails - you knew each other's joys, sorrows and hardships. It was like family, because you were also allowed to argue a lot. I often thought and felt that about family. And I felt the same in the HR department at the time.
When Rudi went to Neubrandenburg University of Applied Sciences as Chancellor after German reunification, my personal time with him came to an end and Dieter Finke took over as Head of the Finance Department. Shortly before that, the head of the Procurement Office, part of the Finance Department, had also moved to the University of Potsdam. So I was able to work closely with Dieter here. There weren't many of us. And again, I enjoyed the personal, reliable contact.
Later, it was Dieter who initiated implementation processes in the senior administrative service of our university and exuded confidence in the employees concerned, including me. It was he who managed the organizational area of our university, represented the chancellor excellently and also worked for the good of the university on the university council after his retirement.
Martin HübnerI didn't realize that it would be our last conversation. I said thank you, but I should have said it much, much more clearly.
It was always the personal things in life that you could share with him alongside the official necessities. For example, his love of France, which manifested itself in his own vacation home by the sea, the occasional Gauloises, the language and the way of life. And there was always an understanding for worries and problems and the naturalness of being there for the university.
A lot of thoughts went through my head while I was writing these lines. I felt and sensed a lot. Now I no longer receive a personal birthday or Christmas email from Dieter. I can no longer congratulate him myself. Fortunately, I was able to speak to both Dieter and Rudi again last year after I invited them to my retirement party. That also characterized them: they contacted me personally and even apologized for not being able to come. One from Dortmund, the other from Usedom. Unfortunately, they were both unwell, but I didn't realize that it would be our last conversation. I said thank you, but I should have said it much, much more clearly.
From the bottom of my heart: Dear Dieter, dear Rudi, thank you very, very much - it is a pleasure and an honor to know you and to have worked and lived with you at our university!
In best memory
Martin Hübner
Martin Hübner was at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts from 1981 to 2025.